Nothing irritates a sports fan more than watching their team perform inconsistently. Playing well one week and being miserably unrecognizable the next week is maddening. The Steelers loss to the New York Jets in week 10 after dominating the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens in previous weeks has left fans befuddled and downright angry.
A week ago, Steelers fans were at the top of the world after the team had crushed their greatest rival and clawed their way back to the top of the division. This week, they are left scratching their heads at a loss that was not supposed to happen and wondering what the future holds for their beloved team. It’s enough to try the patience of even the most loyal fan.
The stage had been set for a great afternoon. The Steelers held their destiny in their hands. They were faced with an opportunity to separate themselves from the three other teams battling for control of the AFC North. All they had to do was beat the lowly Jets.
The hunger for victory should have been evident. It was not. Instead, the Steelers floated meekly into MetLife Stadium and did exactly what many feared: they allowed a team with a 1-8 record to dictate the outcome of a game that should not have been negotiable.
In are attempting to pinpoint what went wrong in Sunday’s game, the choices are plentiful. There were inexcusable penalties, uncharacteristic turnovers and, a seemingly simple field goal attempt that missed the mark. Any one of those could have spelled disaster. Add to that formula an obvious lack of aggression, and losing was inevitable. The fire and passion that the Steelers emanated during their two previous games were painfully absent against New York.
Why did everything go so wrong? Many are pointing to head coach Mike Tomlin. They are accusing him of failing to properly prepare his team for a pivotal game. The finger pointing is sure to continue, and for it to stop, a solution must be found. What happened to the Steelers on Sunday against the Jets cannot happen again.
The Steelers need to remember what happened to them on Sunday and use it as a lesson learned: never take an opponent lightly, especially those with nothing to lose. Fail to take them seriously, and they will burn you every time.
The fans are still behind this team, but the fans cannot control what takes place between now and next Monday night. Their frustration, thus, continues. As much as they would like to wave a magic wand or throw fairy dust into the air and end this curse of inconsistency, they cannot. That responsibility lies solely in the hands of the players and their coaches.
Fans can only wait, hope and believe, and that wait will not be easy. Anticipation will be high and nerves frayed until the Steelers take the field against the Tennessee Titans in a week. While it may be easy for fans to convince themselves that this loss to the Jets needs to be forgotten, it cannot be.
The Steelers are known for playing to the ability of their opponent and, as frustrating as it may be, it also leaves room to believe that they can rebound and finish the 2014 season strong. It will depend on which team shows up over the course of the next seven weeks. The tools and drive exist.
The rollercoaster ride must stop. The margin for error has closed. The team has football games to win, and perhaps more importantly, an identity to regain and maintain. Will the real Pittsburgh Steelers please stand up?
